Liquid container having sliding closure means

Abstract

A liquid container comprises an open topped vessel of generally rectangular cross-section with a handle on one side wall and a lid pivoted to that side wall. The lid has projecting puncture means which pierce the top of a sealed, semi-rigid container of a beverage, such as fruit juice, when the container is located in the vessel and the lid is closed. A slider closure member is mounted in slideway structure on the top of the lid so as to be slidable along a rectangular path over two apertures to either close or open both the apertures, the path being offset relative to the handle so that the slider can be operated by a thumb of a hand by which the handle is gripped. The apertures communicate with the interior of a semi-rigid container in the vessel via passages in the puncture means when the lid is closed. One of the apertures is an outlet through which the liquid is poured and the other is a vent hole.

I claim: 
     
       1. A liquid container comprising a closed vessel, there being two apertures in the top of the vessel, one serving as an outlet through which liquid can be poured from the container and the other serving as a vent hole, a closure member and constraining means whereby the closure member is constrained for sliding movement relative to and in contact with the vessel between one position in which it closes the two apertures and another position in which both the apertures are open to allow discharge of liquid from the container through the outlet; wherein the vessel is provided with a handle and the closure member is offset relative to the handle so that it can be moved between said two positions by application of a thumb of a hand by which the handle is gripped. 
     
     
       2. A liquid container comprising a closed vessel, there being two apertures in the top of the vessel, one serving as an outlet through which liquid can be poured from the container and the other serving as a vent hole, a closure member and constraining means whereby the closure member is constrained for sliding movement relative to and in contact with the vessel between one position in which it closes the two apertures and another position in which both the apertures are open to allow a discharge of liquid from the container through the outlet; the closure member being a flat elongate slider which is constrained by said constraining means for lengthwise rectilinear sliding movement relative to the vessel; wherein a layer of elastomeric material is formed on the underside of the slider, and the means whereby the slider is constrained for sliding movement relative to, and in contact with the vessel causes the elastomeric material to be slightly compressed in reaction to its contact with the vessel. 
     
     
       3. A liquid container comprising a closed vessel which comprises an open topped portion and a hinged lid, the open topped portion comprising a base and sides of the vessel, the hinged lid being pivoted relative to the open topped portion and having two apertures formed in it, one of the apertures serving as an outlet through which liquid can be poured from the container and the other serving as a vent hole; a closure member; constraining means on the lid whereby the closure member is constrained for sliding movement relative to and in contact with the lid between one position in which it closes the two apertures and another position in which both the apertures are open to allow discharge of liquid from the container through the outlet; and puncture means associated with each aperture and depending from the lid, there being passages in each puncture means which provide form communication between the interior of the vessel and each aperture when the lid is closed, whereby the act of closing the lid on an appropriate sealed liquid container placed within the open topped portion causes the top of the sealed liquid container to be pierced by the puncture means so that liquid contained therein can be poured through the outlet via the respective passage in the puncture means when the closure member is in its closed position. 
     
     
       4. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the vessel comprises an open topped portion comprising the base and sides of the vessel and including the handle, and a hinged lid pivoted relative to the open topped portion, the apertures being formed in the lid and the closure member being constrained by said constraining means for sliding movement on the lid. 
     
     
       5. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the closure member is a flat elongate slider which is constrained for lengthwise rectilinear sliding movement relative to the vessel, and an upstanding abutment is formed at the end of the slider that is nearer to the handle. 
     
     
       6. A liquid container according to claim 5, wherein the abutment has, at the end of the slider, an end face which is substantially normal to the direction of sliding movement, and an oblique face which slopes away from the end face towards the upper surface of the slider. 
     
     
       7. A liquid container according to claim 5, wherein said constraining means form a stop surface with which the upstanding abutment cooperates to limit sliding movement of the slider away from the handle when the slider is in said one position. 
     
     
       8. A liquid container according to claim 7, wherein the slider is provided with another abutment which cooperates with another stop surface formed by said constraining means to limit sliding movement away from said one position when the slider is in the other position. 
     
     
       9. A liquid container according to claim 3, in combination with at least one insert which is adapted to be placed within the open topped portion whereby to form a false bottom of the interior of the vessel such that different sizes of semi-rigid liquid container can be accommodated within the vessel so that their top is pierced by the puncture means during closing of the lid.